Department of Early Learning - Current Law

RCW 43.215

The Department of Early Learning (DEL) focuses on investments and opportunities to ensure children in Washington enter kindergarten ready to succeed. DEL works to ensure safe, healthy, high-quality programs and services for young children. It oversees Early Achievers—our state’s quality rating and improvement system for early learning programs—as well as Washington’s state-funded preschool program for children from low-income families; child care licensing; Early Support for Infants and Toddlers; home visiting services; licensing subsidy policy; parent support initiatives; and other efforts to coordinate and integrate child care and early learning programs. DEL works closely with public and private partners to support healthy development of children, starting at birth; and partners with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction on the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills for incoming kindergarteners and with many entities to share information and resources for families about positive parenting and child development. The Governor proposes combining the Department of Early Learning and the Department of Social and Health Services Children’s Administration program into the Department of Child, Youth, and Family Services effective July 1, 2018.

Agency Mission

The Department of Early Learning offers voluntary, comprehensive, high-quality early learning programs and services to families and early learning professionals.
Request
Net change from current biennium
Percent change from current biennium

Operating Budget: Summary

Appropriated Funds

2019-21 Appropriations Appropriated Funds Expenditures
Amount Estimated Balance   2017-19 Actual 2019-21 Estimated 2021-23 Proposed
General Fund - Federal 153,894,216
Home Visiting Services Account - Federal 10,954,583
General Fund - Private/Local 166,366
General Fund - State 114,022,945
Education Legacy Trust Account - State 14,044,430
Home Visiting Services Account - State 2,913,222
WA Opportunity Pathways Account - State 40,000,000
Pension Funding Stabilization Acct - State 468,000
Total Appropriated Funds 336,463,763

Non-Appropriated Funds

2019-21 Non-Appropriated Funds Expenditures
Amount Balance Non-Apropriated Funds 2017-19 Actual 2019-21 Estimated 2021-23 Proposed
Children's Trust Account - Nonappropriated 111,176
Indivi-Based/Portable Background Ch - Nonappropriated 428,699
Miscellaneous Program Account - Nonappropriated 1,251,853
Total Non-Appropriated Funds 1,791,728

Operating Budget: Program Summary

Program Title Actual Estimated Proposed
Actual Estimated Estimated Proposed Proposed
Nothing
Annual Total

Operating Budget: Change from Preceding Biennium

Actual Estimated Proposed
Amount Percent Amount Percent Amount Percent
(255,645,161) (43.1%) (337,003,637) (100.0%)

Employment Summary

  Actual Estimated Proposed
  2018-19 Actual 2019-20 Estimated 2020-21 Estimated 2021-22 Proposed 2022-23 Proposed
FTE Staff Years 0.02